


Rumination of Companion

by leporidae



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Awkward Kissing, Introspection, M/M, this was originally an attempt at writing something cute but whether that worked is debatable
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-11
Updated: 2018-07-11
Packaged: 2019-06-08 19:29:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15250419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leporidae/pseuds/leporidae
Summary: It's not quite yearning, not quite simple curiosity - but rather, something in the middle.





	Rumination of Companion

**Author's Note:**

> Even with a system, I can't title my fics to save my life.

Neither Ging nor Kite have much in terms of worldly possessions other than their clothes (including two very worn hats, both in dire need of replacement), so it’s easy to settle into their lodgings. It’s just an in-between sort of stop, a resting place before a destination Ging hasn’t planned. There aren’t very many specific places he wishes to take Kite during their training, but it’s entertaining in its own right to drag him along on adventures without a purpose, relishing that curious gleam in Kite’s eye and knowing it will never fully be satisfied. It’s partially his own way of teaching Kite that there’s never any truly satisfactory destination, but on a simpler level he’s just trying to assuage his boredom through drifting. If Kite winds up disappointed, well – that’ll be its own lesson. 

They’ve been walking for hours, but Ging feels no desire to shower, and Kite doesn’t voice the request either, instead kicking off his shoes to lie down awkwardly on one side of the too-small bed with his too-long legs. Sometimes Ging is grateful that his student grew up on the streets and doesn’t think much of fancy clothes and worldly luxuries. He and Kite wear the same clothes daily and scrounge for food in the wilderness, and rather than grow upset at their circumstances, Kite is simply grateful he has clothes and food at all. It makes satisfying his companion fairly easy, and if Ging has to travel with someone, he’s glad it’s someone low maintenance. 

Since sinking into the bed, his normally aloof companion has become unusually docile, exhaustion apparent in his eyes and the bags underneath them more pronounced than ever.  The guarded look he usually wears even after all this time has softened into something sleepy and vulnerable. Ging watches as Kite takes off his hat and tosses it across the room with irreverence, where it bounces off the wall and lands atop the haphazard bundle of his cloak on the floor.

Though Ging isn’t the kind of person to deeply contemplate his own discomfort, it does strike him as unnatural that Kite would still be by his side after all this time — and tolerably so. Sure, Ging has other friends, but none who have so actively pursued his attention. At one point Ging would have expected that having a student would be nothing but a restrictive thorn in his side in an otherwise liberated existence. But he’s grown used to Kite’s presence; he responds to Ging’s ramblings with quiet reverence and apologizes to strangers for him when he utters tactless truths they can’t handle. 

That’s not to say Ging _needs_ Kite’s company; if Kite left tomorrow and never came back, Ging knows he wouldn’t miss him. Perhaps he’d think of him and call him at times to check up on his progress as a Hunter, but he wouldn’t yearn for his presence asleep next to him at night, and he certainly wouldn’t be lonely without him. He doesn’t know if the reverse would be true for Kite, but the answer doesn’t interest him, so he doesn’t ask. 

He may not want _for_ Kite, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t want _from_ Kite at times. A loner he may be, but Ging has never quite considered himself a misanthrope. Though humanity and its idiosyncrasies can be a bit pesky to deal with at times, humans are also the creatures who possess the boundless curiosity to explore the unknown. Ging’s entire life has been dedicated to exploring the unknown, whether the unknown manifests in the form of the ruins he wishes to preserve, or the people who have impacted him during his journey as a Hunter. 

Ging also isn’t the kind of person who thinks deeply before doing what he wants. Rather, he forms his goals without considering how they could affect others. It has caused conflict in the past, driving a wedge between him and his cousin Mito and making him rather unpopular amongst Hunters, but his behavior doesn’t change. No amount of long term companionship is going to transform him into someone who wastes significant time reflecting upon how he treats others. Curiosity, not nuance, is what shapes his interactions. 

With the back of his hand he brushes Kite’s inconveniently long hair out of his face, idly wondering how the man can be so pale when the two of them spend so much time outside. Flinching at the touch like a startled animal, Kite looks over at him with confusion, a disarmed expression that causes Ging to smirk as he leans forward and presses their lips together. 

Of course Ging would not consider himself a romantic man, but he is a inquisitive one, and Kite’s emotions and body and reactions are all still somewhat uncharted territory. With his tongue he attempts to pry Kite’s lips open, and Kite freezes at the unceremonious act, but doesn’t pull back either. Disappointingly, Kite is otherwise not very reactive, not loosening up even when Ging places one hand on the small of his back. Throughout Ging’s motions Kite remains tense and does not reciprocate, though towards the end his lips move a little, albeit not enough to be satisfying. 

When Ging pulls back more quickly than he would have liked, he’s mildly distressed to find that Kite’s face has blanched even paler. Shouldn’t he at least be a _little_ red? And yet there’s not a hint of pleasure on Kite’s face, just something dazed and a little bit... fearful? Awestruck? He sure as hell hopes it’s the latter, and not just for narcissistic purposes. 

“Ah, geez,” Ging says lamely. Kite just stares at him, lips still slightly parted in confusion and posture tense. It crosses Ging’s mind to apologize, but even if he did, he’s not sure what he’d apologize _for_. All he has done is express physical interest in his companion — is that so strange? Kite is a pretty man, one of the few people Ging feels comfortable around, and he wouldn’t have expected Kite to stick around if some of that sentiment wasn’t mutual. “Uh — did I misunderstand?” 

“Huh?” His normally level protégé looks more spaced out than Ging has ever seen him, and instead of feeling guilty, Ging finds himself almost satisfied that he’s caused such a change. Still, he wishes the change was a bit more positive, and more… to his own advantage. 

Ging shakes his shoulder, but Kite jolts, so he retracts his hand. “Hello? You still in there?” 

Kite nods, slowly. 

He has no idea what Kite is thinking, and it irritates him. (Is this how people feel talking to Ging all the time? No wonder Ging is far from the most popular member of the Hunter Association.) That aside, he does find himself a bit concerned at Kite’s blankness; sure, Ging crosses lines all the time, but not _these_ kinds of lines, and he doesn’t actively _try_ to be a shitty person. It happens anyway (all the time), but Ging would like for his one and only student to not harbor animosity towards him. That would be a failing as a teacher, and Ging doesn’t like to fail. 

Ging furrows his brow, as usual coming up empty when he tries to formulate the makings of a sympathetic conversation. “Is it the, uh, teacher-student part of this that makes it weird?” 

Irritation flashes across Kite’s face, which if Ging is being honest with himself is a welcome reprieve from his prior flat shock. “I’m hardly even younger than you,” Kite huffs. “That has nothing to do with it.” 

He thinks. “It’s me, then? You’re upset because it’s me.” Ging hates even admitting he could be the problem, but he’s not going to get answers without pushing, as much as actually discussing this makes his skin crawl and activates his unfamiliar flight instinct. 

Somehow, it’s this question and not the actual physical contact that causes Kite to blush for the first time. “No, that’s not it,” he admits. 

Good, Kite doesn’t dislike him. That’s a start. “In that case, what’s the problem?” 

A lock of hair falls across Kite’s face, and he pushes it aside absently. “You never expressed any indication you’d want... _that_ from me,” he says finally. 

Ging can’t help but smile at Kite’s analytical framing of the situation. “And? So what?” 

Kite scowls. “I would have expected you to have expressed it, if you did.” 

“Why?” Ging is partially teasing, but also asking out of genuine ignorance. He’d never been one to consider surprise and spontaneity anything but a thrill, and thought of it as something to be embraced and not shunned. For the life of him he can’t fathom why Kite would be so bothered. 

His student usually doesn’t argue with him or push back on his nonsense, but this time he can tell Kite is growing quickly exasperated with his attitude. “I prefer being prepared for... these kinds of matters.” 

“You can’t be prepared for everything — that’s unrealistic,” Ging retorts. “Plenty of things are going to take you by surprise in the world. You’ll be a target for attacks as a Hunter whether you like it or not. Better get used to it, or you’ll find yourself unable to react when you need to most.” 

“Not everything has to be _that_ kind of a surprise,” Kite shoots back. “This is different.” 

“Different how?”

Eyes widening with incredulity, Kite stares back at him as though expecting Ging to answer his own question, but Ging truly doesn’t know what he’s getting at, so he remains silent. “You’re correct that in a dangerous situation, you don’t have the luxury of a warning. But just now, you easily could have warned me and chose not to.” A pause. “And my feelings are involved,” he mutters as an afterthought, barely audible. 

Ging chooses to ignore that last bit. “I didn’t want to warn you,” he says, “because it was more fun that way.” 

“Not for me.” 

He shrugs. “You know, if you could lighten up a little, we wouldn’t be having the least romantic post-kiss conversation known to humankind.” 

Anger flares in Kite’s eyes, and for a wild moment Ging half expects him to pull out Crazy Slots and beat him over the head with whatever weapon pops out. (For his own continued existence, he hopes it’s not #2.) But Kite is not a temperamental man, and the moment passes quickly when he speaks again in a level tone. “Ging-san.” 

“Hmm?” 

“I’m going to kiss you.” 

Ging's heart stutters, an unpleasant sensation. “Okay...?” 

Kite leans forward, cupping his cheek, and Ging can’t help but scowl — _dammit, why’d he have to say something?_ The anticipation causes him to tense when Kite kisses him, and he can barely even bring himself to part his lips when Kite swipes against them with his tongue impatiently. He’s more aggressive than Ging had been expecting, and the ensuing kiss feels more like a continuation of their disagreement than a gesture of affection. Childishly Ging tangles his fingers within Kite’s hair and pulls hard, daring him to pull away. But he doesn’t, instead grunting with annoyance and digging his teeth into Ging’s lower lip — which in turn causes an affronted and rather embarrassing sound to escape from the back of his throat. 

Tired of the combative physicality, Ging pulls back, regarding Kite sourly. “I just finished telling you it’s more exciting when you _don’t_ give a warning beforehand,” he complains. “You took all the fun out of it.” 

“Well, you didn’t listen to me.” Kite says, “Therefore, I chose to not listen to you. Too bad for your fun.” 

Thrown for a loop, Ging blinks — then laughs, reaching out to ruffle the top of Kite’s hair. “When did you become such an asshole?” 

“I had a good teacher,” Kite replies deadpan, but his eyes are sparkling with mischief. 

“You’re pulling no punches today,” Ging says cheerfully. 

He shrugs. “While we’re on this topic, I just want you to know that you’re a terrible kisser.” 

Now Ging is the one who’s scowling. “Serious question: have you ever even been kissed before?” 

“No.” 

“So how do you know it was bad, huh?” 

Kite rolls his eyes. “Because it was awkward and made me feel awkward. Therefore, it was bad. I don’t need prior experience to tell me that.” 

Ging purses his lips, which hopefully comes across as a disapproving grimace and not a pout. “It was fine to me.” 

“Your lack of awareness that I felt awkward makes it even worse, honestly.” 

“Oi, that’s no way to speak to your Nen master,” Ging growls, but Kite is completely unaffected by his words and blatantly ignores him. To his own dismay, he finds the bitter attitude of his student endearing. Ging would never stand to travel with someone without a bit of an edge to them, and Kite acting like a little shit is simply proof that the two of them, both loners in their own right, are compatible. 

...Compatible how, he’s not sure. At the very least, they’re compatible for the short term, and that’s as far as Ging ever looks forward. 

“There’s never any good way to speak to you,” Kite grumbles, turning away from Ging and flopping down on his side in bed. “I’m going to sleep.” 

Ging laughs, picking up a lock of Kite’s hair and twisting it through his fingers. As much as he can’t fathom Kite’s logic behind maintaining such long hair, it’s fun to mess with. Ging is one of the few people who can get away with it, too, and that makes it all the more satisfying. At the touch Kite flinches, lazily swatting his hand away without force. “Sleeping so soon? What if I was planning on kissing you again?” 

Kite sighs. “If you’re warning me now, that means you’re definitely not going to.” 

“You know me so well.” 

He releases Kite’s hair, contemplating the implications of his own words. Ging has many friends and many more enemies, none of which he’d describe as _knowing him well._ The team with whom he had developed Greed Island knew his tendencies and quirks, sure, but only on the most superficial of levels. To Mito, he’s nothing more than a deadbeat who doesn’t care about his own family; to the Hunter Association he’s a loner, impossible to work with, stubborn and incorrigible. Being reduced to one or two qualities in the minds of others has never bothered Ging, but being around someone who sees him as more than that is certainly a novelty. 

If he chose to leave Kite in the middle of the night and never return to his student’s side, Ging knew he wouldn’t live with any regret. But when it comes to Kite, sticking around isn’t too bad, either. 

It doesn’t take long for Ging to fall asleep afterwards; he’s not plagued by indecision or guilt about anything that had transpired, or anything that might transpire in the future. He plans his life by the day, and tomorrow — when the two of them wake up and advance into the vast unknown sprawled before them — will be no different.

**Author's Note:**

> I have a lot of thoughts about certain scenes I want to sketch out with these two, and this was one of them. This was partially a character study (as they all probably will be) and partially an attempt at writing something a bit cuter. Though, with these two I'm resigned to the fact that it's most likely always going to be a little awkward. They're... not the best at communicating.


End file.
